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NightTinkerer |
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Special Forces Agent
  
Posts: 154
Joined: 25 Jul 2012
Gender: Female
Country: A non-US island
SAK owned: Multifaceted
Favorites
Season: ---
Episode:Bitter Harvest
Vehicle: Jeep
Jacket: Black leather
House: House boat

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This is definitely the best episode of season one, in my opinion--in fact, one of my all time favorites! Some people have already discussed the best aspects of this episode here, but there are some things that I just can't praise enough. To quote MacBeth: QUOTE | And RDA’s performance, first to last, is sensational. It’s the first time on the series that we see Mac in real distress – I remember it was a level of vulnerability really unusual in a male TV hero at the time. It would have been bad if RDA hadn’t made it plausible; instead, it became one of his great strengths as an actor.
And there’s something beyond just the “Joy of Whumping”. When events or trauma peel away the upper, superficial layers of the self, it can put the most fundamental values on display. In the middle section of the episode, when MacGyver is isolated, confused, and in pain, his character is shown in this light – from his empathy to Lisa to his ability to improvise even through a fog. |
I completely agree with that! I willingly admit that I'm quite a hurt/comfort junkie, and I do enjoy most episodes where Mac is sick/injured/vulnerable--as long as someone's there to comfort him and offer him the proper care and/or emotional support. As MacBeth pointed out, it was quite unusual for a male TV hero at the time, and could easily have come out bad or implausible had it not been for RDA's acting skills! I wouldn't call myself "cold", but I'm usually not the first one to choke up watching sad movies. However, watching RDA featuring Mac in distress or pain really gets me every time--which may also be part reason why I fell for the series in the first place--he feels so genuine for a TV series character, displaying both his strengths and his vulnerability! This is also the main reason why I find it very hard to imagine someone else in the role of MacGyver for a future film. I doubt they'd ever find anyone else who'd make it work for me. (And no, I can't really see RDA return to MacGyver either, after all these years. But that's a topic for another thread). Anyway--back on topic--I really liked Lisa as a character. Considering her background, you must admire her strength. And the way she cared for Mac was heartwarming indeed. In fact, that's another thing about this episode that I really loved--Mac and Lisa just helped each other out though they were total strangers to each other in the beginning--they just felt it was the right thing to do! And she got rewarded in the end! It would have been interesting to see what happened to her; considering how intelligent she seemed, she must have gone far! Despite my love of this episode, I do have *some* nitpicks though: Considering Mac's vertigo, and the extreme pain he was in, I very much doubt that he'd be hungry as they finally made it to Lisa's apartment. In fact, everyone I know who've experienced this kind of vertigo have also suffered from extreme nausea and vomiting. I can totally understand why you'd neglect that aspect when producing a TV show with this rating, but still, the fact that he was hungry felt rather implausible. Also, had I been Lisa, I'd never ever handled Mac a knife in that state! Many have already commented the fact that Mac really got the cure at the last moment, and that it wouldn't have had the time to work before his time ran out. Well, they actually said that it could be a little more (or less) than six hours, so it might be that he had a little more time than implied, but naturally, the watch was set for exactly six hours to make him feel the pressure. For those of you who wonder about his "drugged" appearance, there is a simple way to make an actor look teary eyed or sick, and which they might have used: Just add a stroke of tiger balm or any peppermint ointment under each eye. (that's UNDER, mind you, not above). It will do the trick. (And yes, I'm talking from experience). Anyway--my first "Excellent" rating, so far!
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NightTinkerer |
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Special Forces Agent
  
Posts: 154
Joined: 25 Jul 2012
Gender: Female
Country: A non-US island
SAK owned: Multifaceted
Favorites
Season: ---
Episode:Bitter Harvest
Vehicle: Jeep
Jacket: Black leather
House: House boat

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QUOTE (Traveller @ 6 August 2012 - 04:14 PM) | I agree with NightTinkerer. I've always found this scene highly improbable. When you're that sick, food will only make you feel worse. So I think the writers forced the scenario this way, because they needed to make some points. Something else has been puzzling me just as much, from the first time I saw this scene: when Lisa comes into the room with Mac, the bag with the fish she just caught is gone. Instead, she takes a package from a shelf, apparently with another fish in it, for Mac to take the bones out of it. Seems highly inconsequential. It would have been much more logical to take and prepare the fish she caught thanks to Mac's lure. |
Yeah, Traveller, you have a good point there--why did she handle him an "old" fish?  I didn't even think about it until you pointed it out, I guess I was too focused on Mac's pain... And yes, the writers were obviously forcing the scenario to show that Mac "makes the best of what [he's] got," to quote Lisa. The scenario was still improbable, though... (and actually, handling fish even though you're just slightly nauseated... well, it's not an ideal situation for anyone, I think...  )
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MacManx |
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Challengers Volunteer

Posts: 34
Joined: 27 Mar 2013
Gender: Female
Country: USA
SAK owned: Huntsman
Favorites
Season: ---
Episode:Sooooooo hard
Vehicle: Jeep
Jacket: Brown bomber
House: House boat

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One of my top favs. RDA was excellent in his performance. The bad guys were not really dumb or over the top. Mac lightheartedly requesting other torture methods was great.  His humor in these situations is one reason we all love him. Did want to point out that the poison did not kill him in 6 hours, he had 6 hours to take the antidote or it would be too late for the antidote to work. I think one reason this is a favorite is that when this aired I was lightly contemplating running away from home and said if I do I do it like Lisa did, real smart. A few years later, I opted for going to DCFS and actually got the state of Florida to legal remove custody from my mother and place me with my grandma. I image Lisa going to college, with Macs help, becoming an engineer and then working for the Phoenix foundation someday.
Duck tape is like the force; it has a dark side and a light side; and binds the universe together.
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